


Just Ask

by kaleidoscope_dream



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Boys Kissing, Friendship/Love, M/M, Protective Aomine Daiki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-02
Updated: 2012-08-19
Packaged: 2017-11-11 07:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/476217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidoscope_dream/pseuds/kaleidoscope_dream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kise and Kuroko decide to have some after-practice bonding time. Or more accurately, Kise decides it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just Ask

Kuroko was picking up basketballs when it happened.  
  
For the first time, he was startled by someone - instead of the other way around. It didn’t show on his face, but the orange ball in his hands had fallen to the floor and bounced off during that fleeting moment of shock.  
  
Someone had just breathed in his ear.  
  
“Ah, sorry, did I scare you?” The teasing quality of that voice didn’t go unnoticed, but Kuroko didn’t acknowledge it. No, like a good team player, he went after the wayward ball. “Don’t ignore me,” insisted the person, snatching the ball before Kuroko could reach it. “How about a little one-on-one, Kurokocchi?”  
  
With that, Kuroko turned his attention to Kise Ryota and considered it. He didn’t like to pass up opportunities to play, but this time merited an objective standpoint. Kise had been trying to get him alone for weeks now, and he had finally succeeded.  
  
While Kuroko wasn’t adverse to being alone with the newest member of the team, Aomine had been adamant that it never happen. He valued Aomine’s opinion a great deal, but even he thought that was going overboard. Kise was nice, fun to be around, and not exactly the fear-inducing kind of person. Surely nothing could go wrong, right?  
  
“Okay,” accepted Kuroko. Then he pushed the basketball cart aside and stripped out of his jersey.  
  
It would be hot enough playing in his uniform, let alone the extra layer, and Kise had the advantage of gym clothes. Not that Kise needed another advantage, given how fast the other player was improving, but for some reason the other boy hadn‘t been in the changing room earlier.  
  
A few minutes into the game and it was already clear who was winning. Kuroko had yet to score, while Kise kept making one amazing shot after another.  
  
Despite that, Kuroko was enjoying himself. Practice like this helped him learn how to properly mark a player and it improved his footwork. It wasn’t wasted effort and he refused to think of it as such. In fact, it was Aomine that had drilled that into his head.  
  
When Kise made it to twenty points, Kuroko grabbed the ball out from under the net and held it securely under one arm. “Thanks for the game, Kise-kun, but I have to get home soon.” He tossed the ball to Kise and then picked up his jersey. “We can play again tomorrow,” he suggested off-handedly, once he had straightened and noticed the dejected look Kise was giving him.  
  
“Promise?” Kise was all smiles in an instant. Kuroko nodded before pulling on his jacket and getting back to his abandoned clean-up duty. He still had the cart to put away. Everything else had been taken care of by the third-string players. When he returned from the equipment room, he wasn’t expecting the blonde to still be there - in uniform, at last, but very much still in the gym and waiting.  
  
“Is something wrong, Kise-kun?” It couldn’t hurt to ask.  
  
“I was hoping I could walk you home,” Kise admitted sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck and he seemed - embarrassed, maybe? “If that’s not too weird, or anything.”  
  
“Sure,” Kuroko shrugged. He didn’t need the details and didn’t ask for them. Aomine would chide him for that later (“The idiot has a girlfriend, don’t you think it’s weird he wants to walk you home?”), but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like anyone else had offered to walk him home and it would be nice to do something normal - with someone that actually knew he existed, too.  
  
The blonde haired boy beside him lit up. “Great, we can spend more time together!” Kise’s smile was infectious; Kuroko couldn’t help but let slip a small smile of his own. “Aominecchi’s pretty protective of you, ya know?” No, Kuroko did not know and he furrowed his brows together in thought. What did that mean?  
  
He didn’t dwell on it, though, because by then they were outside and he had to lock up.  
  
A split second after, Kise’s arm was around his shoulders and leading him down the dirt path to the sidewalk. Kuroko started to pull away from the overly affectionate gesture, uncomfortable, but that disappointed look appeared again and Kuroko stopped. It wasn’t that bad, he supposed, receiving this kind of friendly attention. Though he drew the line at that.  
  
If Kise leaned a little more on him than necessary, Kuroko ignored it. If blonde hair suddenly brushed against his cheek, he ignored it. If there was suddenly a thumb stroking the back of his neck, Kuroko commented flippantly that it tickled and please stop, but nothing more. It wasn’t until a few blocks down that Kise removed his arm.  
  
Kuroko thought that was the end of it and relaxed. A mistake, because not a minute later Kise had grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers.  
  
He looked to the blonde for an answer, his gaze pointedly shifting from their interlocked hands to Kise, but the response he got was simply, “You have to hold hands when crossing the street.”  
  
True, they were at a crosswalk, but that didn't explain why they had to hold hands to get across. Unless Kise was implying he was a child. Kuroko didn't take too kindly to that. As soon as that comparison came to mind, he pulled his hand away and crossed the street while the light was still green. Kise followed after, at a more subdued pace.  
  
A short walk later and Kise admitted aloud, "I'm sorry."  
  
Kuroko shrugged the apologize off like he did most things of that nature. There was nothing to be sorry about, as far as he was concerned. Kise was free to treat him any way he wished, but that didn't mean Kuroko had to reciprocate or even acknowledge it.  
  
But there was one thing he had to make clear. "Please don't treat me like a kid again, Kise-kun. I'm fourteen, not four."  
  
"I know." Kise's head was bowed, blond bangs obscuring his expression. "I just ... I wanted to ..."  
  
"You made up a stupid reason, when all you had to do was ask?" suggested Kuroko wearily, holding out his hand. "I don't care if you hold my hand, Kise-kun, if it makes you happy." He liked seeing Kise happy and they were teammates. Why shouldn't he trust his teammate not to break his hand?  
  
Kise hesitated and raised his gaze to meet Kuroko's, as if afraid it was some kind of joke. Kuroko wondered what was so surprising about it. He would have let Kise continue with the action before, if not for the tasteless comment. And now that Kise had apologized, it was only fair to make peace as well.  
  
"Kurokocchi ..." Kise trailed off, clearly at a lost. "Are you doing this on purpose?"  
  
Kuroko let his hand fall, the moment gone, and started walking again. "If that's what you think."  
  
"So you _are_ messing with me," accused the blond, matching Kuroko stride for stride. “Look, what I did was … stupid … and I’m sorry if I offended you, but please don’t tease me like that.”  
  
“Then don’t treat me like a kid,” Kuroko replied without missing a beat. “Does that sound like a fair trade, Kise-kun?”  
  
“Sure,” agreed Kise, though the playful smile he was sporting could have meant anything.  
  
“Oh, and Kise-kun?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“I don’t joke.”  



	2. Ask and Receive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It may not be happily ever after, but Kise will settle for once upon a time.

Kise cheerfully hummed under his breath. Today was a good day. He had a commercial to film later and his agent had given the okay to bring a friend. Not only that, he had time to stop by for practice and take Kuroko up on his offer to play some one-on-one. Things were looking up.  
  
“Gemini should be on the lookout for vengeful spirits today.”  
  
 _Midorima,_ he assumed, and he turned to give the person his attention. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”  
  
“Are you being haunted? If you are, there’s a shrine near my house,” someone that was definitely not Midorima deadpanned. It was that person who stole his attention, and he ignored the boy with glasses in favor of his shorter teammate.  
  
“I don’t remember seeing a shrine when I walked you home,” Kise pointed out on their way to practice. He noticed Midorima raise his eyebrows at that comment, to which Kise smirked and made a victory sign. Kuroko didn’t seem to care, one way or another, if Kise made strange comments or did strange things, so the blond took the liberty of doing what he could, when he could. Though sometimes he crossed the line.  
  
“We were right in front of it when I offered to hold your hand.” Kuroko was nonchalant about the whole thing, like it was normal to go around holding hands with teammates. Perhaps in Kuroko Land, it was.  
  
In the sanctity of his own mind, Kise wondered what it would take to embarrass Kuroko Tetsuya. _Ripped clothes? Bed hair? A sex scene in one of those stories of his?_ He certainly couldn’t remember a time when the boy had blushed - or a time he had looked anything but distant and serious. It was feasible to believe Kuroko didn’t know how to be embarrassed - and Kise absently wished he could live in Kuroko Land too.  
  
He only realized he was daydreaming when Midorima elbowed him in the ribs. They were already in front of the gym. “You know what, Kise, I think that vengeful spirit may be closer than we originally thought.”  
  
The pissed off face of Aomine Daiki agreed. “ _Who_ was holding hands with Kise? Satsuki was lying, wasn't she, Testu?” Ah, so that look was directed at Kuroko. He thanked his lucky stars and attempted Escape Plan A.  
  
That plan was foiled when Midorima clamped a hand on his shoulder and pushed him forward. “Perhaps asking Kise about that would be the fastest route.” Kise really didn’t like the taunting grin that followed after he said that. Midorima was enjoying his plight a little too much.  
  
At least they were outside. The gym was five feet away, but there weren’t too many spectators to watch his imminent demise. Aomine had been against Kuroko getting closer to him, so it was a logical conclusion to draw. Kise wasn’t sure if it was jealousy rearing its ugly head or not. Maybe it was some warped case of big brother syndrome that had Aomine so dead-set on keeping them apart.  
  
“We didn’t do anything!” Kise insisted, and he held up his hands defensively to keep Aomine from unleashing that fury on him. “Nothing happened!” Since the star player didn’t appear convinced, Kise resorted to foul tactics. “Momoi had her first kiss stolen last week in the library!” The mistake he made was glancing at Kuroko. There was a hint of surprise and he actually seemed _interested_. Kuroko had only been interested in basketball before.  
  
Kise could have cried. His diversion had proved useless. Worse than useless: it had worked against him. The score was probably Momoi: 100 and Kise: 0. He was curious, however, as to why Aomine didn’t react violently to his comment about Momoi. Either he had misjudged their relationship or -  
  
“I already beat the crap out of that guy.” Yes, that. “Now explain, Kise, before I rearrange _your_ face.”  
  
That didn’t sound too appealing. “Well, you see …”  
  
“I don’t dislike Kise-kun,” Kuroko flat-out admitted, “so I don’t see why I can’t hold hands with him.”  
  
“ _This_ is why I didn’t want to leave you two alone!”  
  
“Because you want me to hold your hand instead?” suggested Kuroko. Aomine flushed and tried to form words, but all that came out was an odd spluttering sound.  
  
“I like women,” Aomine stressed. “You should too.”  
  
“I like Momoi-san.” Kise had been watching the back-and-forth between the two in amusement until he heard that. Now he was too busy mourning the fate of his heart. So it was _don’t dislike_ for him but _like_ for Momoi? There went another two points for Momoi. “And Kise-kun has pretty hair, like a woman.”  
  
He heard Midorima snort and sent the other boy a scathing look. A backhanded compliment, he childishly reasoned, was better than none at all.  
  
After a long pause, Aomine said, “I give up. If he molests you, it’s your own damn fault, Tetsu.” Then he stalked back into the gym and that was the end of that. Midorima seemed disappointed it was over, while Kuroko remained unfazed.  
  
For Kise, he plotted revenge in the dark depths of his mind. He would start with Kuroko.  
  
\--  
  
Two hours later, when practice was finished, Kise had devised the most ingenious plan.  
  
First, he had to ensure Kuroko would accompany him to the commercial shooting like he wanted. “Kurokocchi, are you busy tonight?” They were in the changing room, alone, and Kuroko didn’t find anything wrong with it - despite Aomine’s molestation comment from earlier. He declared that a two-point slam dunk and re-tallied the score. Momoi: 102, Kise: 2. He was still holding out for a come-back victory.  
  
“You want another one-on-one game?” Kuroko hazarded a guess, puppy eyes trained on Kise.  
  
The blonde made a show of stripping out of his shirt just to gauge Kuroko's reaction. There wasn't one. “No, I'll make good on that promise later. Rather, I was thinking … would you like to see where I work?” He very carefully did not look when Kuroko changed out his gym shorts.  
  
“All right. As long as we aren’t out too late.” He supposed, like other teenagers, Kuroko had a curfew.  
  
“I won’t keep you -” He stopped before he said _past your bedtime_ , because he knew Kuroko wouldn’t take a jest like that well. “If you have to leave, just let me know.”  
  
“You don’t shower before work?” Kuroko commented flippantly, changing the subject.  
  
“I don’t have time. I’ll wash off at the studio,” explained Kise. “It’s mostly rehearsal today.”  
  
The shorter boy nodded and shut his locker. “Well, I’m done. I’ll wait outside for you.”  
  
Shrugging on his uniform jacket, Kise couldn’t contain his smile. It probably didn't count as a date, but he was spending time with Kuroko. And that was time well spent, in his opinion.  
  
\--  
  
“Cut, cut!” the director shouted, and then he mumbled about models turned wanna-be actors under his breath. “What is wrong with you, Ryota? Your audition was worth one-hundred percent, and now you’re giving us fifty?”  
  
Kise winced at the use of his first name, but bowed his head in shame. “I apologize. Is it all right if I run lines until I’ve calmed down? I-I think it’s nerves.”  
  
The director waved him away. “You’ve got ten minutes. Get yourself together. I don’t want to hear a single excuse when you get back.”  
  
Flashing an award-winning smile, Kise thanked the man and then made a bee-line for his patiently waiting friend near the back of the studio. “Sorry, Kuroko, but I'm going to have to ask a favor of you.”  
  
“Yes?” The other boy tilted his head in a gesture that was reminiscent of an actual puppy, maximizing the comparison.  
  
“Run lines with me,” Kise pleaded. “This is my first acting job and … I’m not sure I can do it.”  
  
The look in Kuroko’s eyes softened immediately and the boy held out a hand, waiting. “Do you have a script?”  
  
Kise pulled one out of his back pocket and unrolled it. “Here. Let’s go to my dressing room down the hall.”  
  
Nothing odd, nothing strange. Not to Kuroko, anyway.  
  
\--  
  
Kuroko appeared dubious without appearing dubious at all. “Do I really have to say this, Kise-kun?”  
  
“Yes.” Kise was in serious mode and refused to compromise. While it had been a lie that he was nervous about his first acting job, he had a one-track mind when it came to something he loved. He loved his job. He loved basketball. He loved … Kuroko Tetsuya. “Say it.”  
  
A faint red dusted Kuroko’s pale cheeks. “I can’t.”  
  
“You mean, you won’t.” Kise put on the saddest face he could manage, whilst inwardly cheering at the small success of making the other boy blush.  
  
“Fine.” Kuroko took a deep breath and then began, accentuating both words, almost purposefully, “Kiss me.”  
  
“You only had to ask.” Kise leaned forward, as if to comply, and then a hand was on his face and he was pushed away.  
  
“Kise-kun, what exactly is this commercial trying to sell?”  
  
“Right now? Me.” He grabbed a hold of Kuroko’s wrist and tugged the shorter boy closer. After that, he continued with the script - a self-made script that he had invented back in the gym. “I’ve loved you for the longest time.” He placed a finger under Kuroko’s chin and tilted his head upwards. The blush had faded, much to his chagrin, but he didn’t dislike the way Kuroko parted his lips, as if to ask a question.  
  
And he didn’t dislike the feather-light touch to his arm, the light tug on his shirt, or the shimmer in Kuroko’s blue eyes that said more than Kuroko usually said in a day. This moment was perfect. A stolen moment that would last a lifetime. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to Kuroko’s. Fleeting, not technically a kiss, but that was how he wanted to start. He pulled back and gave Kuroko time to look at the script.  
  
“You call that a kiss,” Kuroko’s voice was lower than it should have been and it had a restrained edge to it. “I can do better.” He shook off Kise’s hold on his arm and stood on his tip-toes to tangle his fingers in the blond hair he had called _pretty_ earlier. Kise didn’t have a chance to say his own line, _“I’d like to see some proof,”_ because Kuroko’s lips were back on his and there were teeth knocking against his and a curious tongue running along his bottom lip. It was riddled with inexperience and fueled with an emotion Kise couldn’t place, but none of that mattered because it was Kuroko kissing him and he hadn’t thought it would happen and it now was and his thoughts were jumbled together in one big mess.  
  
It was short-lived, much too short. Kuroko had retracted his hands as fast as he made a pass and put space between them before Kise could even consider kissing back. Then he had the nerve to ask, “Is that enough practice, Kise-kun?”  
  
No, it was not. Without regards to the consequences, he knocked the script out of Kuroko’s hands and kissed him again, fierce and indelicate as he claimed those lips for his own. Kuroko didn’t respond until he bit down on his bottom lip in retaliation. A small gasp was just what he wanted to hear before he soothed away the pain with his tongue. He didn’t go any further, forcing himself to stop and break for air.  
  
“That wasn’t in the script,” Kuroko observed.  
  
“No, but I can I help it if I wish it was?”  
  
“You lied to me,” Kuroko went on, unrelenting.  
  
Kise placed a hand behind his teammate’s neck and played with the short, blue strands of hair he could reach. “Yet you’re still here.”  
  
“I don’t dislike you enough to leave without hearing why you lied.”  
  
As confusing as that was, Kise understood the gist of it. “I don’t know. I do stupid things. Why do you let me? Why not stop me?”  
  
“You wouldn‘t be Kise-kun if you didn‘t do foolish things.” It was hardly there, but Kuroko was smiling.  
  
“And?” Kuroko remained silent. “That’s all? No reaction to me kissing you or lying to you. Just what am I to you, Kurokocchi?” He whispered that last part, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer or not.  
  
Kuroko removed Kise’s hand and laced their fingers together in a parody of yesterday’s hand holding. “Like I said, I don’t dislike you. We’re not friends.” Kise flinched, but he forced himself to listen to the end. “You’re childish and bothersome.” Kuroko was blunt; there was no helping that. “And you make me uncomfortable sometimes.” That was the truth of it, in a nutshell. This had been a mistake. “I’m not done, Kise-kun, don’t give me that look. You’re strange and foolish, but you’re also smart and kind and … I kind of like the you that makes me uncomfortable. I trust you. If you want to kiss me, you can.”  
  
Kise blinked, pretty sure this was a hallucination of some sort, but Kuroko didn’t disappear and the hold on his hand never wavered. Reality then; a blessedly sweet reality. Kuroko was _his_. He tackled the shorter boy to the floor and showered his face in kisses, earning a shout of _Get off me!_ from Kuroko. He ignored it splendidly and straddled the other boy, eager to try out a lot of things and see how far he could go.  
  
The answer to that was not very far. Kuroko used two fingers to poke him in the eyes and wriggled out from under him during the pain that ensued. A knock at the door told him his ten minutes were up and he told the person he would be there soon. He left out the part about having to wait for his eyesight to return so he could see the doorknob. No one needed to know.  
  
His stumbling around earned him one benefit, though: Kuroko took pity on him and looped an arm around his waist. “Did I blind you?” questioned Kuroko, deadpan once more.  
  
“No, but let me lean on you anyway.”  
  
Kuroko didn’t object, but he did have something to say. “Kise-kun, I want to try kissing in the library.”  
  
He figured that left him at the final score of Kise: 1,000, Momoi: 102, Library: 1,000,000. It would have to do, because he wasn’t saying no to that request.


	3. Aomine's Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine isn’t Mr. Nice Guy, but he does care about Kuroko. He just has a messed up way of showing it.

The school festival was coming up, and that meant students busying themselves with preparing for the event. Aomine wasn’t one of them. He was on the rooftop, dodging his classmates - namely Momoi and Kuroko, who would put him to work if he was caught slacking. It was quiet on the roof, too, a perfect place to think.  
  
And he had a lot to think about lately. Like Kise and his intentions toward Kuroko.  
  
At first, he had thought the blonde had been aiming for Momoi: she was cute, knew what it took to get a ball in a hoop (if only in statistics), and she had a C cup. What more could a basketball-minded guy want in a girl? Kise had seemed to notice, at any rate, and talked to her often. Aomine asked Momoi about it later and he found out quickly that Kise was asking about _Kuroko_. No wonder they could talk for hours; they were swapping stories about his Shadow.  
  
The problems started after that. Slowly, but surely, Kise grew bold. There were lingering touches during breaks, wistful staring on Kise’s part, and then the new guy tried something in the showers. Aomine had glared so spitefully that day that his teammate had gotten the message loud and clear: _Don’t touch._ And Kise’s hand had fallen short of its intended destination. Probably Kuroko’s hair, since the blonde was too much of a damned prude to do much else.  
  
He kept a closer eye on the two of them once that happened, and he left no opportunities for them to be alone. He wasn’t going to take any chances, lest Kise attempt something that wasn’t so innocent.  
  
Kuroko was the type of person that didn’t confront someone without good cause, and likely wouldn’t resist unless he felt uncomfortable. As much as he hated to admit it, Kuroko trusted Kise - he had seen it during some of their cooperative plays, when Kuroko had no other choice but to pass to Kise.  
  
Kuroko depended on Kise. If Aomine wasn’t available for a pass, his eyes always instinctively sought out Kise. While Aomine liked the potential of his new teammate, and the challenge the blonde had become, there was still one thing that he couldn’t tolerate: and that was anyone laying a hand on what was his. Kuroko was _his_ Shadow. Just like Momoi was _his_ childhood friend.  
  
No one was going to take them from him without a fight.  
  
Leaning his back against the railing, he devised the best way to show this to Kise. He smirked when an idea occurred to him.  
  
\--  
  
“Oi, Tetsu, how was yesterday’s visit to pretty boy’s work place?” Aomine asked during practice, when they were taking a break. He took a sip from his water bottle and waited.  
  
Kuroko actually struggled for what to say; he could see it in his eyes. “It was … enlightening.”  
  
Aomine decided then and there he was going to kill Kise. Kuroko had blushed. It was slight, barely there even, but it was enough to tell that _something_ had happened.  
  
“Did you get molested?” Aomine kept his tone even and didn’t allow the anger to spill over into his voice.  
  
“I don’t think it’s called being molested if you enjoyed it,” corrected Kuroko, and then the shorter boy was mopping at the sweat pooled on his forehead and completely ignoring what he had just revealed. “Anyway, I have to ask Kise-kun something. Can we talk later?”  
  
It wasn’t that easy to walk away from Aomine Daiki, though. “You’re not going anywhere, Tetsu.” And he made sure of that by grabbing hold of Kuroko’s arm and tugging him back. “Tell me what he did.”  
  
“We kissed,” Kuroko stated bluntly. “And we’re going to do it again.” Aomine had thought he was prepared to hear something like that, but he wasn’t and he cringed. He was even more unprepared for when Kuroko asked, “Why? Did you want to watch, Aomine-kun?”  
  
For a moment, he considered it - but then he made a face and decided, “No, I don’t, and don’t ask me that again. But let me ask you something, Tetsu. Do you actually think he cares about you?”  
  
“If you are asking if he confessed, then yes, he did.” Kuroko finally started to struggle to free his arm. He probably knew what Aomine was going to ask next.  
  
“And what did you say?”  
  
The shorter boy didn’t answer, too focused on removing each of Aomine’s fingers, one by one. It was only when he had succeeded in obtaining his freedom that he said, “You don’t need to know that, Aomine-kun.”  
  
Aomine wasn’t sure why, but that stung. Still, he had an ace up his sleeve and he planned to play it without any regrets now.  
  
\--  
  
It was worth it when Kise walked into practice the following day and everyone fell silent. The players were stunned by the sight. Kise’s model good looks were marred by a bright red hand-print, right across his face.  
  
The story went that his girlfriend had broken up with him - and violently - after finding out that she wasn’t Kise Ryota’s number one. If the rumors were to be believed, Kise was seeing someone else.  
  
Aomine didn’t know how _that_ had gotten out, really, but he couldn’t stop grinning long enough to feign innocence.


	4. Try, Try Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First dates are awkward and rarely go as planned, but a relationship has to start somewhere.

If Aomine thought that was the end of it, he was sadly mistaken. Kise Ryota didn’t give up easily. “Wanna go see a movie together, Kurokocchi? There‘s a monster movie marathon this weekend, and I have an extra ticket for it.”  
  
Kuroko didn’t think that ‘extra ticket’ was a coincidence, but unfortunately he had to decline. “I don’t like horror movies.”  
  
“But you read ghost stories all the time!” objected Kise.  
  
“That’s different,” Kuroko explained, “because there’s no fancy theatrics. You have to think for yourself.” When Kise still protested (“Give it a chance, you’ll like it!”), he continued, “I really don’t like horror movies, Kise-kun, so you’ll have to find someone else. I have no reason to go see something I don’t like.”  
  
At that, the blonde-haired boy pouted, full-on theatrical. A look that would have made Kise fit right into a horror movie - especially as the first to go. “Come on, Kurokocchi! Just one movie, please?”  
  
“Did you think of a reason why I should go, then?” It was a good thing they were having this conversation on the way to practice, or they never would have been able to finish it.  
  
And Kise never would have been able to say, “I’m asking you out on a date, Kurokocchi. Yes or no?”  
  
Kuroko was vaguely reminded of childhood days long gone by, where kids would give little folded up notes to their crushes. And the notes would say: _Do you like me? Check yes or no._ He hadn’t been on the receiving end of one, but he had seen plenty of them.  
  
It seemed Kise was his very own note, asking flat-out what the answer was going to be.  
  
They slowed down as they reached the gym, lingering outside so Kuroko could reply. “All right,” the shorter boy conceded, “I’ll go with you, but only on one condition.”  
  
“Name it!” Kise said, ecstatic.  
  
“No more girlfriends.” From anyone else, that would have sounded scolding, but Kuroko had managed to make it sound like one of those off-handed comments that people forget in five seconds.  
  
Kise wasn’t about to forget a single word, though. That was a warning, and he knew it.  
  
\--  
  
It was the weekend of the promised ‘date’ and Kise was having a wardrobe malfunction. He didn’t have any matching socks, his best pair of jeans was in the dirty laundry (which he had left untouched for two weeks), and he didn’t have any classy shirts to wear. Now what was he supposed to do? A first date had to be worth remembering, but if he dressed like a bum out for a stroll … Well, he didn’t want to think about it.  
  
He had a couple of ‘work’ clothes, and they would look good on him - damn good. The problem was he couldn’t wear them outside of job-related events, because knowing his luck, he would ruin them and then his agent would kill him. He liked living too much to risk it.  
  
With very little choice, Kise scrambled to find a decent outfit to wear among the clothes that were clean. He came away with little to no success. His black pair of pants was too tight, his most presentable shirt was a baseball tee with a men’s to do list on it, and his socks weren’t the same shade of white. All in all, it could have been worse. That didn’t mean he liked it and he vowed to be better prepared for future dates. A thought which sent a thrill through him. There were going to be more dates. He was officially dating Kuroko Tetsuya. _Him!_  
  
He glanced at his watch, smiling - and then promptly let out a loud curse. He was late!  
  
\--  
  
“I thought Kise-kun was the punctual type,” said Kuroko impassively, ten minutes after the promised meeting time. He got up from his seat outside the theater and held out his hand. Kise stared blankly, so Kuroko sighed and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go. We’ll miss the opening credits if we don’t hurry.” With a light tug, he was leading Kise along as easily as a puppy. “By the way,” added Kuroko as he held the door open for the both of them, “nice shirt.”  
  
It was probably a good thing that the movie theater had dim lighting. Kise had colored an interesting shade of red. He also hoped - prayed, really - that Kuroko didn’t misunderstand his intentions because of the shirt. There weren’t too many ways he could explain away ‘do the dirty deed’ - because it was pretty much a part of very man’s to do list.  
  
In hindsight, maybe he should have went with his ‘black belt in origami’ shirt. But since time machines had yet to be invented, Kise resigned himself to his fate. His first date with Kuroko was going to be one mishap after another. Perhaps he should followed Midorima’s example and checked his horoscope. Was it an unlucky day for Gemini or something?  
  
“Would you like popcorn, Kurokocchi?” He couldn’t mess that up, could he? No, certainly not.  
  
“No thanks. I’ve already eaten.” Kise didn’t hide his crushed expression at all. “Er. On second thought, can I have some candy, Kise-kun?”  
  
Kise lit up like a firework in the night sky, his grin as brilliant as the sun. “Can do!”  
  
Two minutes and eighteen seconds later, he was back - with popcorn. “They were out of candy,” he said, dejected.  
  
Kuroko patted his shoulder. “It’s all right. I’ll share it with you.”  
  
\--  
  
The movie was a typical monster thriller.  
  
The woman screamed, the monster chased, and the man saved the love of his life. It was clichéd and hardly scary, but Kise watched it as if mesmerized. He jumped when he heard the screams, he made a face every time the monster appeared on screen, and he cheered when the man saved the girl. He was a captive to the on-screen acting.  
  
If not for that, he would have noticed his date was captivated by _him_ , and the movie was mere background noise. Kise had a way of being expressive without even trying, and he was honest with his feelings. When he felt scared, he trembled. When he felt dissatisfied, he stuck out his tongue. And when he felt awe, he admired and praised. There was no emotion that Kise couldn’t show, and Kuroko was fascinated by that.  
  
It wasn’t so bad, this dating thing. The movie wasn’t bad either, if it was producing those sorts of reactions from Kise.  
  
Kuroko leaned against his friend, stole a piece or two of popcorn, and whispered, “This is fun.” And he meant it.  
  
Kise made a funny embarrassed expression and Kuroko chuckled. Kise gaped and Kuroko smiled slightly.  
  
The movie was a typical monster thriller, but to them, it was the beginning of everything.


End file.
